Malvern Autumn 2018 – the verdict

There was a new look to this year’s Malvern Autumn Show. Did it answer past criticisms?

It wasn’t just the layout that was different at this year’s Malvern Autumn Show. There was a buzz of excitement that’s been sadly lacking for some time.

The new floral marquee was packed, nurseries were doing brisk business and it felt more like the start of the season than the last big flower show of the year.

It was a welcome change. For too long it had felt as though the gardening element of what is admittedly a mixed show was being lost in a mass of other stands selling everything from jumpers to rugs, while using the dingy ‘cow sheds’ of Wye Hall for the RHS flower show was universally disliked. (Reflecting on the Malvern Autumn Show.)

The biggest change was the use of a proper canvas marquee for the nursery stands and it really made a difference to the feel of the show.

Cleverly sited right by the main public entrance, it gave the nurseries the prominence – and light levels – they deserve.

I spoke to several and their praise was universal – “amazing”, “fabulous”, “fantastic” were just some of the reactions.

All had noticed more visitors, possibly because numbers were up on last year but more likely because the nurseries were now at the heart of the show.

“I think the people have always been here but they just never went into the sheds,” said Heather Godard-Key of Fibrex Nurseries.

Rob Hardy, of Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants, described it as having a“spring show feeling with the people coming through”, Mark Moir of Newent Plant Centre said he’d had a great first day, and Vicky Fox of Plantagogo said they’d had their best day ever at a Malvern Autumn Show.

They weren’t alone. Old Court Nurseries sold two days’ worth of stock on the first day and had to return to the nursery for more. Stella Exley of Yorkshire-based Hare Spring Cottage Plants had a handful of plants left on Sunday morning and was selling display plants as well.

With more nurseries than usual, I just hope those stalwarts who didn’t give up on Malvern in the dark days don’t lose out if, as is likely, applications for nursery places in the marquee increase next year.

The new marquee was part of a wider ‘gardening village’ that gathered the gardening-related stands in one place, including the Potting Shed for talks, and made the chance of missing something less likely.

The beautifully decorated Autumn Potager Theatre was at one end of the floral marquee offering a mix of how to grow and how to cook talks.

It would be good to see the British flower growers at the other end rather than still stuck in the ‘cow sheds’ and it would give the marquee a complete ‘grow it and use it’ theme.

With the ever-popular giant veg contests, displays of seasonal fruit and fiercely contested amateur competitions for flowers, fruit and veg, there was plenty to keep us gardeners happy.

There are still some things to improve – not least the location of the cut flower growers and more than one person said they wished it was a three-day event. Now that would be interesting.

The best of the rest

Here are some of the things I loved at this year’s Malvern Autumn Show.

CANNA UK’s pumpkin tug of war was brilliant.

There were some perfect vegetables.

The perry pear display was really interesting.

A different rudbeckia on Hare Spring Cottage Plants’ stand. ‘Little Henry’ has tubular petals that gradually unfurl.

I really liked the colour of this Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’. Sadly, Chris Cooke Plants had sold out.

Time for tea? Part of the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party-themed display by cut flower grower Vale Garden Flowers.

Far Hill Flowers was showing how to ‘paint your garden’ with flowers.

And the seasonal colours. This was part of the Westons’ Cider display with three tonnes of apples set against some of Howle Hill Nursery’s beautiful acers.